BOSTON POLICE officials preparing for the Democratic National Convention have abandoned ill-conceived plans for an overly restrictive protest zone near Haymarket Square in favor of a more expansive, 29,000-square-foot area capable of accommodating thousands of demonstrators. The designated demonstration area at Haverhill and Causeway streets is hard by the space planned as the bus depot for convention delegates, suggesting that the configuration should meet court requirements that protesters be "within sight and sound" of their intended audience.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, chairman of the Democratic National Convention, yesterday expressed confidence that rising costs will not prevent the party from putting on an event that can provide all the "pizzazz" needed to showcase John Kerry's presidential candidacy. Richardson acknowledged that some "glitches" -- an apparent reference to the unexpected cost increases -- still need to be resolved. But he said Democratic leaders can raise the funds to cover any higher-than-expected costs involved for the production and construction to set up the four day event at the FleetCenter.

Officials are drawing up plans to encourage the homeless to stay away from so-called hard security zones around the FleetCenter, where the convention will be held July 26-29. Those zones will be open only to credentialed officials, convention delegates and the news media.

The price tag for FleetCenter construction and event production for the Democratic National Convention could be as much as 40 percent higher than originally budgeted, forcing the party and local organizers to consider cutting back on spending or asking presidential candidate John F. Kerry to help close the gap.

Tourism leaders are scrambling to find alternative routes to bring tourists to the North Shore and Merrimack Valley when North Station and Interstate 93 are shut down during the Democratic National Convention at the FleetCenter in Boston in July. The closing of North Station from July 23 to 30. for security reasons has derailed plans by local tourism officials to have thousands of delegates, guests, and other visitors hop the train to Salem, Gloucester, and Newburyport, among other tourist destinations.

In preparation for the Democratic National Convention, Boston police are getting training from Israeli suicide terrorism specialists and crowd-control tacticians in Northern Ireland and Philadelphia, where police cracked down on protesters during the 2000 Republican convention, according to a document obtained by the Globe.